The American National Security Agency (NSA). 🇺🇸

The National Security Agency (NSA) is a cryptologic intelligence agency.

NSA's intelligence gathering is limited to foreign communications by laws.

Headquarters for the National Security Agency is set apart from but is technically inside Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, on 350 acres.

The NSA, which has about 42,000 1⃣government and contract workers.

NSA's mission, is set forth in Executive Order 12333, it is to collect information that constitutes "foreign intelligence or counterintelligence".

NSA/CSS provides intelligence products and services to the White House, executive agencies (such as CIA and the State Department), the Chairman and Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), military combatant commanders and component commands, military departments, multinational forces, and U.S. allies. In addition, we provide Information Assurance products and services to users of national security information systems and to government contractors, as required.

As of 2012, NSA collected intelligence from four geostationary satellites.

 Satellite receivers were at Roaring Creek station in Catawissa, Pennsylvania and Salt Creek in Arbuckle, California.[37] It operated ten to twenty taps on U.S. telecom switches. NSA had installations in several U.S. states and from them observed intercepts from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and Asia.2⃣

The NSA has an electronic monitoring station in RAF Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom.  The base covered 562 acres.

They are building at FORT MEADE, Md.  a new High Performance Computing Center-2, an NSA-run facility .The 600,000-square-foot center will include 70,000 square feet of computer space.

It has a $8-10 billion annual budget.

1⃣ Bloomberg June 2013 .

2⃣ Wikipedia 

When an American President retires how can he spend his time ?

When an American President retires how can he spend his time ? Well one went on Safari in Africa.

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) was the 26th President of the United States (1901–1909).

In March 1909, shortly after the end of his presidency, Roosevelt left New York for a safari in east and central Africa. Roosevelt's party landed in Mombasa, Kenya. It was partly   Financed by Andrew Carnegie. 

Expedition Costs

$50,000 from Smithsonian Museum appeal

$25,000 from Theodore Roosevelt

$25,000 from Andrew Carnegie

In 2005 equivalent $ 1.8 million dollars.

Roosevelt and his companions killed or trapped approximately 11,400 animals, from insects and moles to hippopotamuses and elephants. The 1000 large animals included 512 big game animals, including 

• Lion = 9

• Hyena = 5

• Elephant = 8

• Rhinoceros = 13

• Hippopotamus = 7 

• Warthog = 8 

• Zebra (common) = 15

• Zebra (big) = 5

• Giraffe = 7

• Buffalo = 6

• Eland (giant) = 1

• Eland (common) = 5

• Bushbuck = 6

Etc, etc, etc.....

The expedition consumed 262 of the animals. Tons of salted animals and their skins were shipped to Washington. Roosevelt's party hunted for specimens for the Smithsonian Institution and for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. 

Roosevelt wrote a detailed account of the adventure in the book African Game Trails, where he describes the excitement of the chase, the people he met, and the flora and fauna he collected in the name of science.

Do you know Syria.

How many American & British    Politicians calling for Intervention in Syria know the modern History. Here's my " idiots" simple history. Actually it's very complicated. 

Quick history of Syria & who & how the country was ruled.

In 1516, the Ottoman Empire invaded the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, conquering Syria.

Ottoman administration followed a unique system that lead to a peaceful coexistence for centuries. Each religious minority — Shia Muslim, Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Armenian, and Jewish—constituted a millet. The religious heads of each community administered all personal status law and performed certain civil functions as well.

In the midst of World War I, two Allied diplomats secretly agreed on the post-war division of the Ottoman Empire into respective zones of influence in the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916. Giving the area of Syria to the UK. The " Syrians" had fought for the British, thinking that they would get independence after the war.

The present border was established when Syria became a League of Nations mandate in 1920 under French rule.

During the Second World War the French were forced ( by the British & Nationalists ) to evacuate their troops in April 1946. This led to Independence. 

TSince independence there has been  many COUP'S with the Military involved. Leading to two periods : Syrian Republic (1930–1958), United Arab Republic, and 1963 Syrian coup d'état. The country signed an agreement with the Soviet Union in 1956.

In  November 1970 the Corrective Movement, a bloodless military overthrow  installed Hafez al-Assad as the strongman of the government. He ruled until his death 10 June 2000. His son, Bashar al-Assad, was elected President in an election in which he ran unopposed.

The ongoing Syrian civil war was inspired by the Arab Spring Revolutions. It began in 2011.

The Religious breakdown. Very important in the cause and outcome of Coups & civil war.

Sunni account for 74% of the population, while 13% are Shia (Alawite, Twelvers, and Ismailis combined), 10% Christian  (the majority Antiochian Orthodox, the rest include Greek Catholic, Assyrian Church of the East, Armenian Orthodox, Protestants and other denominations), and 3% Druze.

Very Important !

President Bashar al-Assad's family is Alawite and Alawites dominate the government of Syria and hold key military positions.

Quick Numbers

Population 2013 22 million approx.

Christians (2.5 million), Druze ( 500,000)

The Syrian armed forces, comprising some 400,000 troops upon mobilization. The military is a conscripted force.

The oil sector provides about 40% of export earnings. The agriculture sector contributes to about 20% of GDP and 20% of employment.

In 2008 Unemployment was just above 10%. Poverty rates in 2004 were   12.3%.

As of 2012, due to the ongoing Syrian civil war, the value of Syria's overall exports has been slashed by two thirds, from the figure of $12 billion USD in 2010 to only $4 billion USD in 2012.

In 2010 The literacy rate of Syrians aged 15 and older was 90.7% for males and 82.2% for females.

In August 2012, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the number of registered Syrian refugees had reached over 200,000. Also according to the United Nations, 6 million people inside Syria needed help and about 4 million Syrians were internally displaced because of the Syrian civil war.

Animals in Ireland

We love animals in Ireland but did you know how many we have. Going back to pre history the Cow was mentioned. It was the cause of wars between Chieftans. The high kings or Ireland wealth was counted in cattle numbers.
Our love of horses is world famous, we exported thousands for the First World War. We breed thorough breds for the billionaire. The studs are International owned.
We feed kids in European throughMcDonalds burgers. Lamb is exported to France as quality cuts. Live cattle are back been exported to Libya and Egypt. China can't get enough of our dry milk baby food and the skins off the cattle. So how mand aninals have we here in Ireland. Well be amazed when you read the numbers that follow.
The total numbers for spring of 2013 for the Republic of Ireland.


Cattle 6,754,000
Sheep 5,170,000
Pigs           1,570,600
Horse & ponies 111,100

The numbers are up slightly but with a fodder shortage this spring with the unusual weather they could be down next year

Global Warming

Everyone agrees there is global,warming. But who do you blame & what is the cause ?
Well I have an opinion ! I'm not an expert but have looked at the data, read the articles ! So here goes, my opinion.
The Magnetic North has moved south. The tilt of the earth has shifted. It effect the atmospheric pressure on Earth. This has shifted the pattern of wind around the world causing unusual weathers patterns, causing storms, droughts et al.
"Wind is caused by differences in atmospheric pressure. When a difference in atmospheric pressure exists, air moves from the higher to the lower pressure area, resulting in winds of various speeds. On a rotating planet, air will also be deflected by the Coriolis effect, except exactly on the equator. Globally, the two major driving factors of large-scale winds (theatmospheric circulation) are the differential heating between the equator and the poles (difference in absorption of solar energy leading to buoyancy forces) and the rotation of the planet" *1

Is this a permently shifted or its a cycle over millions of years we do not know. There is little we can do. Except trying to control man made carbon going into the athomasphere but there is so much going into the air thought the seas and other natural ways. Deforestation must be reduced.

These are my rumblings but it my option !


1. Wikipedia

Disability Equality

People with disabilities are going to loose grants for Mobility in 4 months. In a country where all citizens should be treated equal please read the Facts below.


Mobility allowance ( 5000 individuals claim ) €208.5 monthly
Motorised Transport Grant (350 claiments approx) €5020.50 (0nly 3 year cycle )
You cannot claim both.
Total for both €10.3 million a year.


If TDs live less than 25km from the Oireachtas, TDs are allowed €12,000 and Senators €7,000 for Transport. There are 12 bands, paying different rates, the maximum being for distances of 360km or more – in those cases TDs can claim €37,850 and Senators €32,850.
166 TDs 80 senators received

Old people Rule !

What a week for octogenarian's world wide.


FRENCH actress Emmanuelle Riva age 85 year old ( Bafta winner )

British David Attenborough 86 year old world ( tempeture remarks )

German Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger 85 years old ( resigns as The Pope )

Australian Rupert Murdoch 81 years old ( ditches page 3 girls )

American Hugh Marston Hefner 86 years old ( publicity with 26yo new wife )

American Warren Edward Buffett 82 years old ( hand over to son Howard )